Stefi and the Spanish Prince

Gr 8 Up–American girl Stefi and her parents are spending the summer in Barcelona, Spain—which couldn’t come at a better time. Having walked in on her boyfriend and best friend making out, Stefi has no interest in spending the summer at home. What’s more, an aspiring baker, Stefi has an opportunity to reinvent herself in her favorite city and study with one of the best pastry chefs in Europe. Meeting Xavi—who looks to Stefi like a blue-eyed, long-haired, Viking warrior—is not a part of her plan, but Stefi is happy for the distraction from her heartache. What Stefi doesn’t bargain for is falling in love, and she certainly isn’t prepared for Xavi to be the secret Prince of Spain. Add into the mix a couple of jealous exes and a royal guard who falls in love with Xavi’s best friend, and you have yourself a good old-fashioned teen romance. This work is reminiscent of Freitas’s first novel, The Possibilities of Sainthood, and here she once again invokes food, culture, loyalty, and romance in magical yet utterly human ways.